Electro-medical battery



- (No Model.)I

Y` T. H. HICKS.

ELECTRO MEDICAL BATTERY.

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N. PETERS, MLMrapMr. wuhmuon. DJ:A

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

THOMAS H. HICKS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRO-MEDICAL BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,310, dated October 27, 18S5.

Application filed January 21, 1885.

To all whoml t may con/cern.:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. Hroiis, of Detroit, in the county of Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electro-llIedical Batteries; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in electro-medical batteries for producing galvanic and induced currents. At the present state of the medical art the practitioner of electro-therapeutics uses different electrical currents to produce different curative effects. It is, however, not alone the kind of electrical current he wishes to produce, but he wants also to control the strength and direction of .the current, all of which modifies or changes their curative properties in a physiological and therapeutical point of view.

It is the object of my invention to provide an electrical apparatus for medical use capable of producing any one of the desired currents which have different medical properties' ascribed to them, and provide the apparatus with convenient and simple devices for changing their direction and strength.

The different currents produced by my apparatus are, in addition to the galvanic current, the eXtra (primary) and the secondary induced current, each of which can be' obtained either straight in one direction or the other, or alternating (medically neutral;) and my invention consists, first, in the combination and arrangement of the different parts for producing any one of the above-mentioned currents; second, in the peculiar and novel arrangement and construction of the circuitbreaker, by means of which alternating induced currents are obtained from a galvanic current; third, in the peculiar arrangement and construction of switches operating in connection with the circuit-breaker, by means of which the alternating induced currents can be changed at will into straight currents, either right or left.

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure l is a plan of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a similar view in diagram,

showing the different electrical connections. Fig. 3 is a diagram of the circuit-breaker and (No model.)

the switches by means of which the induced currents are obtained either alternating or straight in one direction or in the opposite. Fig. 4 is a section on line a" .fr in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a section on line y y in Fig. 1.

A set of four cells, A, connected for intensity effects, is arranged in the usual manner within the the space of a suitable box and covered over by au ebonite top plate,B,which carries a suitable winding apparatus, C, for raising or immersing one element of each cell.

D D are binding-posts to which the poles of the battery are connected.

E is a metallic switch-key. a is anelectrical connection between its pivot and the batterypole D; and c and d are two metallic contacts for this switch-key.

F is a pole-changer operated by the turnbutton F. f is an electrical connection between the contact d andthe pole-changer; and g is another electrical connection between the pole-changer and the battery-pole D. The pole-changer F is of the usual kind, and it is electrically connected to the electrodes G G by the connections h z'.

The operation of the apparatus as far as described is as follows: Vhenever the switchkey E is closed upon the contact d the electrodes G G become the two poles of the battery, and the galvanic current is established by bringing the electrodes in proper contact with the parts of the body to be treated. By means of the polechanger the current can be made to dow from G to G', or vice versa.

The parts for producing the induced currents are as follows: H H are two spools provided with soft-iron cores I, which arc connected together bythe iron base-plate J. Each of the spoolsH H consists of an alternating series of individual spools, K L, which constitute the primary and secondary coils. The terminals of the primary coil are connected to the contact-points k Z. The secondary coil has its terminals at the electrodes M MQ but only one of these terminals is directly connected to the binding post. The other terminal is connected to the contact-point m6, which constitutes the last contact of a series with which the metallic switch-key N can be brought in succeeding contact. The other contacts, m m5, are the terminals of a number of graduated short circuits from the secondary IOO wire. The pivot of the switch-key N is in electrical connection with the electrode M. By means of the switch-key N the whole secondary wire,or only graduated fractions thereof, can be connected with the electrodes M M', thus permitting in the operation of the device tc graduate the strength of the secondary current The iron cores I l of the induct-ion-coils constitute an electro magnet, and they are provided with the pole-pieces O O', which project inwardly and toward each other.

P is a permanent horseshoe-magnet pivotally supported in its longitudinal axis by the centers n n. The horseshoe-magnet is in the same plane with the pole-pieces O O and at right angles thereto, and its poles project between the pole -pieces of the electro magnet. The pole-pieces of the electro-magnet project a little distance into the space between the open ends of the permanent magnet, giving the latter enough freedom to oscillate upon its centers, so as to bring its poles in alternate contact or proximity with the poles of the electro-magnet. The horseshoe-magnet P carries the two contact-springs Q Q, the former of which is in electrical contact with the body of the magnet, while the latter is electrically insulated therefrom by being embedded in the insulating material P', which is secured in the open space between the poles of the horseshoemagnet.

It R2 R3 It are fou r metallic posts arranged in pairs upon opposite sides of the permanent magnet, and are provided with the adjustable contact-points l 2 3 4.

S S are metallic switch-keys, and Zr Z are two contact-points with which these switchkeys can be brought respectively in electrical contact.

The horseshoe-magnet P, with its contactsprings and contact-points, constitutes the circuit breaker, and its connections with the switch-keys S S and the battery as are follows: The contact-spring Q is in electrical connection with the body of the horseshoe-magnet, and thereby with the center a. The post n2, in which the center nis secured, is electrically connected with the contact c. The contactspring Q is by a piece of wire electrically connected with the screw n4, which forms the journal for the center n. The center n electrically connects the screw n* with the post n3, and the latter is connected by the wire iwith the pole D of the battery. The contact-bearing posts It ItL R3 R4 are electrically7 connected by wires with the contact-point 7c, switch-lever S, contact-point Z,' and switch-key S, respectively, as clearly shown in diagram, Fig. 3.

The operation of the circuit-breaker is as follows: It" the switch-key E is brought in contact with the contact-point c, the two contact-springs Q Q are made the two poles of the battery, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, by means of the connections heretofore described. The horseshoe magnet being permanently magnetic will have one of its poles in contact or proximity with one of the pole-pieces O O',

and the other pole in contact with the other pole-piece of the electro-magnet, as shown in Fig. 4L. rlhere are two such positions of the horseshoe-magnet, and between these two positions the horseshoe-magnet is free to oscillate. In one of these two positions the contact springs Q Q make contact with the contact points 3 4. In the other position they make contact with the contact-points l 2. In either of the two positions of the magnet P the galvanic current is closed il' the switch-keys S S are on their contacts Zr Z. ln one position the circuit being formed by the connection from Z t0 7c, from Zcthrough the primary coil to Z, from there through the switch-key S to contact 2, thus closing the circuit through the battery. In the other position the circuit is established from contact 3 t0 contact Z, from contact Z through primary coilto contact Zr, from contact 7c through switch-keyS (if closed) to contacta, thus closing the circuit. It will be seen that the direction of the current through one circuit is opposite to the direction of the current through the other circuit. In establishing` either of the two circuits the electro-magnet becomes excited, but its polarity is reversed whenever the contact-springs Q Q change contact from one side to the other, and as the opposite poles ofthe two magnets attract each f other and their like poles repulse each other the permanent magnet is forced to oscillate upon its centers, provided the poles of the electro-magnet are reversed in the proper order, so as to make them of like polarity with that pole of the permanent magnet which is in contact or proximity thereto. The oscillations ofthe circuit-breaker in producing an al ternating flow ofthe galvanic current through the primary coil produces a similar current in the secondary coil. The ext-ra current produced in the primary coil is brought to the electrodes T T by means of two branch wires, 1 s. The branch wire i' is connected directly to the electrodelT; but the brauch wires connects with a contact-point, t, (see Fig. 2, which forms one of a series oflike contact-points, either of which can be connected with the switch-key V. A branch wire, s', connects the pivot ot' this key with the electrode T. The object of the switchkey V, with its series ot' contact-points, is to form a means for .graduating the strength ot' the extra current, the contact-points 't' t2, &c., being connected with the primary coil by short circuits which inclose only graduated fractions ofthe primary coil into their circuits. As long as the switch-keys S S are upon their respective contact-points k Z the galvanic cur rent is transformed, as shown, into an alternating current, but if one of these switch-keys is moved ot'f its contact one of the two primary circuits is broken, and the galvauic current can only pass intermittently by one circuit through the primary coil whenever the circuit is closed by the oscillations of the currentbreaker. As this current only flows in one direction, the extra current and the secondary current produced thereby are straight cur- TOC IIO

rents, and the direction of these currents can be made to flow from right to left or from left to right by establishing the current either through the switchkey S or through the switch-key S. Vhen the galvanic current is thus broken through one of the primary eircuits, the electro-magnet is no more reversed in its polarity, and to keep the circuit-breaker oscillating a counter-balance has to be used. This counter-balance consists of a curved piece of wire, u, with a weight, c, adj ustably secured to it. The free end of the wire is inserted into a socket, w, provided on top of the permanent magnet I). The operation of this counter-balance is to oscillate the permanent magnet from the position into which the attraction of the poles of the two magnets draw it while the galvanic current is passing through the primary coil. It operates simply as a counter'- weight during the interval when the electromagnet is not excited, to oscillate the circuitbreaker in the inverse direction. According tothe direction in which the galvanic current is flowing through the primary coil the counter-balance has to be adjusted to oscillate the circuit-breaker to one side or to the other. Instead of a counter-weight a spring, z, can be used as a counter-balance. This spring e is secured to the nut IV, and engages with its free end into an enlarged slot, w', in the socket w. By turning the nut W to one side or the other and securing it in position by the jam-nut WT the spring z can be made to bear with its tension the circuit-breaker to one side or to the other sufficiently to oscillate it in the reverse direction from the one in which the electromagnet oscillates it when excited. The slot w is made sufficiently large to allow of turning the spring z into such a position that it Will not interfere with the operation of the circuit-breaker when under the action of the alternating current.

I am not aware that a medical battery has everV been devised in which the primary current is made to dow alternately in opposite directions through the primary wire ot' the induction-coil; and the spirit of my invention in this specific rpoint consists in constructing a circuit-breaker which is caused to opcrate, in conjunction with the poles of a permanent magnet, by the reversing of the current of the battery in its passage around the electro-magnet, whereby the poles of the latter are alternately changed and attracted or repulsed by the poles of the permanent magnet, and in this respect it is indifferent whether the current-breaker is vibrating, oscillating, or turning on its axis.

My oscillating circuit-breaker has the advantage that the attractions and repulsions between the different poles of the permanent and electro magnets assist each other very efficiently to produce the oscillation of the circuit-breaker, which thereby moves very evenly and produces currents of even strength. It

also has the advantage that its movement is imperceptible and noiscless-an advantage ot' which the medical practitioner who knows the effects which sound or motion in a medical battery produce upon nervous patients is fully aware of'. A

IVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In an electro-medical battery, an induction-coil having the terminals of its primary wire connected, as described, to four stationary contacts arranged in pairs, each pair forming the terminals of the primary wire of the coil, in combination with a circuit-breaker carrying two contact-springs which are in electrical connection with the poles ofthe battery, and which are adapted, in the operation of the circuit breaker, to form, make, and break contacts with each pair of stationary contacts to alternately reverse the current through the primary wire of the coil, as and for the purpose described.

2. In an electro-medical battery, a circuitbreaker carrying tou r contact-points arranged in pairs -upou opposite sides thereof, each pair constituting the poles of the galvanic battery, four stationary contact-points grouped in pairs upon opposite sides o't' the circuit-breaker and adapted to make and break contacts with the contact-points of the circuit-breaker, an 1nduction-coil having its terminals connected with each pair of stationary contact-points, and an electro-magnet in the induction-coil for operating the circuit-breaker, which latter is itself a permanent magnet, all arranged and operating as described, whereby the current is sent alternately in opposite directions through the coil to cause its magnet to alternately present poles of unlike polarity to the poles of the fixed magnet, as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In an electro-medical battery, a circuitbreaker carrying tour contact-points arranged in pairs upon opposite sides thereof, each pair constituting the poles of the galvanie battery, four stationary contact-points grouped in pairs upon opposite sides ot' the circuit-breaker and adapted to make and break contacts with the contact-points of the circuit-breaker, an induction-coil having its terminals connected with each pair ot' stationary contact-points by distinct and independent connections which have switch-keys for breaking the circuits through them, an electro-magnet in the induction coil for operating the circuitbreaker, which is itself a permanent magnet, all arranged substantially as described, whereby the current is caused to ilow alternately in reverse directions through the primary wire of the coil, or in a single direction, substantially as speciiied, and for the purposes set forth.

et. In an electro-medical battery, the devices for changing the galvanic current into an alternating current, the same consisting in the combination of the permanent magnet P, supported upon centers and carrying the two contact-springs Q Q, forming the terminals of the battery, orP the stationary contacts l 2 3 4, arranged in pairs, ofthe induction-coil with IIO 'its electro-magnet and polc-pieces O O', and o1" l the connections of the terminals of the primary Wire of the induction-coil with each pair of stationary contacts, all arranged and operating substantially as described, whereby the primary current is alternately sent in reverse directions through the coil, as and for the purposes set l'orth.

5. In an electro-medical battery, the combination of thepernianent magnet P, supported upon centers and having the two contactsp-rings Q Q', which are electrically connected with the poles ofthe battery, ol" the stationary contacts l 23 4, arranged in pairs upon opposite sides of the permanent magnet, and adapted to make and break contact with the contact-springs Q Q', of tire induction-coil having its terminals connected to contactpoints k Z, ofthe switch-keys S S', of the connections between the stationary contacts l 2 3 4, and the contacts It Z and switch-keys S S', and of the electromagnet with its poleApieces O O', all arranged and operating substantially as described.

6. ln an electromedical battery, a circuitbreaker mounted on centers and carrying two contact bars or springs, Q Q', electrically connected by way ofthe centers to the respective poles of a battery, but insulated from each other, substantially as described.

7. In an electro-medical battery, the eonibination of the current-breaker P, carrying lour contacts arranged in pairs upon opposite l sides, each pair forming the poles of the galvanic battery, of four stationary contacts arranged in pairs in relation to the contacts of t-he current-breaker, of an induction-coil having primary and secondary circuits, of connections between the terminals of the primary coil and two electrodes, T T', and ot' connections between the secondary coil and the electrodes M M', all arranged substantially as described.

8. In an electro-medical battery, the combination of the oscillating magnetic cireuitbreaker consisting of the magnet P, provided with contact-springs Q Q', electrically connected to the respective poles ol a battery, but insulated from each other, and its actuating electromagnet having the poles arranged in relation to each other, substantially as described, and means for interrupting the primary circuit through said electro-magnet, with an adjustable connterlbalance for said circuitbreaker, to oscillate the latter to one side or the other, according to the direction in which the galvanic current is llowing through the primary coil, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

THOS. H. HICKS.

litnesscsz H. S. SPRAGUn, y E. J. ScULLY. 

